Faded Hearts, Strong Determinacy, and Cluelessness
by The Sword of Flame
Summary: A story in which includes Mendanbar and Cimorene, and the fact that their adventures never end. Updated as of 2/07/08!
1. FHSDAC1

As you may have read from my page, I am returning to continue, finish, and coincidentally begin this story again. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read, review, or even think about glancing at this story. And for anything I have up on this site.

Mm, the content may be a little different, as I decide to keep some parts of the dialogue but change others. The storyline is still the same though, don't worry.

Disclaimer: Yes, I've decided to rewrite this story again. No, I'm not crazy, and yes, this is the revised version right here. Hm? Oh, no, I don't claim to have any rights or ownership of the Enchanted Forest or its respective characters. Yes, I will take claim to original characters, being Medea, Jerald, and Herald.

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Chapter One: In which the wizards are quiet, Cimorene receives a letter, and traveling arrangements are made.

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It's amazing how strong silence and stealth can overpower even the boldest of actions. In fact, sneakiness can be a tactic that one can refer to as curious. Cimorene was annoyed.

"Things have been quiet lately, don't you agree?" Cimorene remarked casually to her husband. She was lying upon the bed with her hands folded loosely behind her head for support. Although her appearance seemed carefree, her thoughts were racing. No problems. No commotion. Even the nightshades had no reportable disturbance. In the Enchanted Forest? How was it even remotely _possible_?

"Wholeheartedly." Mendanbar replied as he brought a hand up to his chin in thought. "It's not even a question of failure! The wizards haven't made so much as an effort as to even breathe the air in the Enchanted Forest." He stood from his spot in a chair, and crossed the room to sit upon a corner of the bed instead.

"And we know for a fact that the last fiasco the wizards were involved in didn't harm their organization." Cimorene added thoughtfully as she sat up from her relaxed position. "Imagine it Mendanbar. Drama can only ensue from their idleness. When those crazy old men aren't up to anything, truly, they're up to something."

Mendanbar almost laughed, and turned to look at her. It was amazing how she could lighten up a serious diplomatic situation. A knock at the door interrupted his response. Mendanbar silently groaned and fell back onto the bed, knowing who was at the door. Cimorene smirked and shook her head as she looked down at him.

"Dear, you know better than to ignore Willin." She said playfully and kissed his forehead before getting off the bed. Mendanbar hesitantly got up and followed her to the door. Cimorene opened it and sure enough, Willin was looking up at them. He extended his arm up to her, an envelope held loosely in his fingertips.

"For her royal highness, Queen Cimor-" Willin began to announce before the royal couple cut him off.

"That really isn't necessary Willin-" Mendanbar began, but knowing how blunt her husband tended to be at times, Cimorene finished his sentence.

"-But thank you just the same." She reached out and Willin handed her the letter. He bowed and scuttled off to attend to other duties around the castle. Cimorene shut the door and turned to look at Mendanbar. He snuck away a few moments before and had taken her comfortable spot upon the bed.

"Cimorene, love, if the wizards were going to do anything, they would have done it by now." Mendanbar spoke up as he closed his eyes in thought. "I say we just take advantage of the serenity."

"I agree. Maybe we worry too much." She smiled at him before she looked down to open what she had received. Turning the envelope over to break the seal, she stopped. Her parent's royal seal? She walked over and sat upon the edge of the bed. Cimorene thought a moment; she hadn't forgotten anything, had she? Birthdays, anniversaries…no, she had not forgotten. Then what was it? She peered a little closer at the markings in the seal, and she held back a gasp.

"So, who is it from?" Mendanbar asked as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"My mother…" She shook her head. "We had a bit of… code, back at the castle. Certain seals mean different things…" As she spoke she broke the wax emblem and opened the envelope.

"Really?" Mendanbar asked, interested as he began to sit up. "What does that one mean?"

"This one represents the utmost emergency. Extreme concern." Cimorene whispered as she continued to read.

"Oh." Mendanbar said as he watched her read. He didn't want to break her concentration, but after she grew silent for several minutes he became concerned. "Cimorene?" He asked gently, and reached for her hand.

Cimorene shook her head slightly, and turned to face her husband. "I'm fine." She gave his hand a small squeeze if only to confirm what she said.

"Love, you're …pale. What's wrong?"

Cimorene let out a shaky sigh. "My mother says that something is wrong with my father."

"Does she mention anything specific?" Mendanbar asked, and watched as she shook her head.

"No. But she says that my father wants me to go to Linderwall to see him." Cimorene could only think of the worst. She had no contact with her parents since the wedding, and even then, everyone was well. As she zoned out to think of the possibilities, Mendanbar had slipped off the bed to stand in front of her.

This was a new expression that Mendanbar had thought of as foreign. It was rare to witness any form of emotional or physical weakness from his wife.

"Cimorene…" Mendanbar said again, to try to get her attention. It worked; she blinked and looked up at Mendanbar. She stood to meet his gaze, to offer an explanation. Anything to distract and ease her thoughts.

"I'm sorry Mendanbar. I don't know why-" She stopped short as Mendanbar gently pulled her into a hug. His arms encircled her waist and held her close. She closed her eyes and smiled as she brought her arms up to wrap around his neck.

"You're about to tell me that you let your emotions guide your reactions," He whispered. "And I'm here to tell you that there's nothing wrong with that." He felt her gently kiss his cheek, and he smiled sadly. "Now, you're telling me that you'll be leaving in the morning. An impulse that I won't be able to convince you from if I tried. Am I right?"

"You know me well." Cimorene answered, and pulled back so that she could look him in the eye. "I won't be gone long."

Mendanbar shook his head, "Don't restrict yourself. Take as long as you need."

Cimorene smiled, "I love you." She closed the distance between them and captured his lips before he had the chance to say anything.

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The next morning, Cimorene was ready to go. A leather satchel hung from her shoulder with ease; she packed light. She wore a dark blue tunic with matching leggings, browns boots that resided to her knees, and a dark midnight black cloak. A plain scabbard protected a magic sword that hung loosely to her side. Her hair was pulled back in braids and hung away from her face.

Everyone gathered outside of the castle to see their friend off and to wish her a safe journey. Kazul muttered under her breath about the traveling arrangements, even though Cimorene explained numerous times that horseback was the easiest way. They had no magic carpet, and the King of the Dragons couldn't just leave on such short notice, so flying was completely out of the question. Mendanbar had to stay, and as for Telemain's risky transportation spells…well, she preferred the horse.

She said a short farewell to everyone, and then walked over to where Mendanbar and her horse were waiting. As expected, the horse was a little skittish around Kazul, and had to be distanced. Cimorene smiled at her friends one more time before she turned and took Mendanbar's arm. To make things easier, he was going to see her to the edge of the forest.

"Hold on," Mendanbar teased as he flicked one of the invisible threads of magic that weaved throughout the Enchanted Forest. Morwen, Telemain, and Kazul watched as the couple disappeared. Upon mutual agreement, all gathered inside to wait for Mendanbar's return.

The scenery changed when Cimorene opened her eyes again. The thick moss thinned, the great trees were few and scattered; they were at the edge of the Enchanted Forest. The horse was a little discombobulated, and stomped its feet in confusion.

"Here we are." Mendanbar said quietly when his vision focused again. Of course, he didn't want Cimorene to go, she needed to. Everything would be fine, he reminded himself.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" Cimorene asked again as she stepped closer, and rested her hand gently upon his cheek. "Honey, you don't look so well."

"No, no. I'm fine, really." He claimed quickly. And Cimorene smiled as she took the reigns from his hand and let it fall. The horse wouldn't go anywhere.

"You're such a bad liar." Cimorene teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Just give me one week." She leaned in and kissed his lips. "And I'll be back. Don't worry." Before he could object, she leaned in again and kissed him more passionately. She reluctantly pulled back after a few moments, and quickly mounted on her horse before anything else would be said.

"Watch the border for me?" Cimorene asked playfully, her eyes bright.

Mendanbar finally forgot about his hesitation and smiled, "Even if I have to stand here all week."

"I love you."

"I love you too." And at Mendanbar's words the horse acknowledged his rider's actions, and sped off in the direction she guided it to. In a few minutes time she was out of sight, and Mendanbar sighed heavily as he teleported back to the castle.

0000

Hysterical laughter echoed loudly throughout a small castle tower. Shadows danced from a cauldron in the middle of the room, as it was the only source of light.

"Ha! I can't believe this, Jerald look! She took the bait!" The voice of a young woman filled the air, and she stepped back and pointed at the enchanted cauldron. A small frog on a wooden table looked up to acknowledge her, and then went back to his previous activity of sleeping.

"Yeah…Jerald. Try to contain your excitement." The woman rolled her eyes in the darkness. "But just look at that fool Cimorene! Rushing off to a false emergency in a far away kingdom. And what's this?" She questioned with false surprise, "She left her husband all alone? For shame!" The sound of footsteps echoed in the room as the woman circled the cauldron again.

"I suppose that I should give those wizards some credit. They are the ones who helped me set my plan in motion." She waved her hand over the glowing cauldron to emphasize her point. Shadows flickered upon her face as the image in the pot faded away. "I've waited too long for this Jerald. Too long. Mendanbar will be mine."


	2. FHSDAC2

Yes, go chapter two!

Disclaimer: Yes, I've decided to rewrite this story again. No, I'm not crazy, and yes, this is the revised version right here. Hm? Oh, no, I don't claim to have any rights or ownership of the Enchanted Forest or its respective characters. Yes, I will take claim to original characters, being Medea, Jerald, and Herald.

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Chapter Two: In which Cimorene arrives and Mendanbar learns about a spell.

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Cimorene slowed her horse down to a stop as her eyes settled upon the kingdom of her youth. "There it is," Sighing, she leaned over to her saddlebag, pulled out a thin circlet and placed it upon her head. "This is the first time I've been in Linderwall since I ran away…" Cimorene said softly, and encouraged the horse to begin walking. Her eyes fell to her hand, and her wedding ring caught her attention. "But it's different this time."

She entered the kingdom without trouble, and her eyes settled upon the stronghold. But first, she would have to get through the town; the bustling of the people proved to be her only obstacle. Her eyes fell upon the citizens of Linderwall as she advanced slowly through the town square. Cimorene was confused. Not only was her father very…traditional about his role, but he was also kind and fair to his people. Everything was normal. She was sure her father's court would have commenced some day of grieving, or some other ridiculous thing like that.

"Princess!" Someone shouted above the murmured voices of the crowd. It sounded so familiar that Cimorene pulled back on the reigns to stop and see who it was. She hopped down from the saddle and walked her horse over to the side of the road. "Princess!" There it was again. Her eyes searched the crowd for the owner of that voice. Sudden recognition shot through her mind.

"Herald?" Cimorene asked, and smiled when two large arms pulled her close into a hug. Usually she would see her large friend coming, but it was amazing how fast one could move when motivated. She returned his hug and grinned. "It's so good to see you again my friend."

The man pulled back and held her at arms length. "Aye Princess, it's been too long." He was a large but lean man, with dark orange hair that had been cut close against his head. His short beard was cut in the same fashion, which gave him an intimidating appearance. His gentle emerald eyes betrayed any belief of hostility, and evidently contradicted everything he was supposed to be. "Too long indeed! You're a Queen now!" His eyes lit up with laughter, for he was glad that she took charge of her own life.

"And are you still a chef in my father's kitchen?" Cimorene asked, wondering how he fared.

"Nope, Princess! Got promoted! I am now the Head Chef, a sort of… Chief Cook, if you will,"

Cimorene laughed, "I know exactly what you mean."

"A fire-witch in a kitchen, it was only a matter of time, you know." Herald smiled as he rubbed his head.

Cimorene smiled, "Of course," Herald was the one who had taught Cimorene her few, but valuable, cooking lessons when she was younger. Herald was also the only other one in the castle that knew true magic; the Court Magician totaled the tally up to be two.

"Heh, it's been awfully quiet without you around the castle. To be honest though Princess, the knights miss the challenge. The fencing lessons kept them on their toes in times of peace." He smiled, but then another thought interrupted him. "Say, that's right, what brings you back 'ere? Don't tell me you're already bored!" Herald questioned, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Heavens no Herald. Life back home is as interesting as it can get. I've never been happier," Cimorene gave a sad smile, and then looked up at her friend, "It's just that I've been summoned here. How is my father, Herald?" She asked, and eagerly awaited his answer.

"He's as healthy as a horse, Princess. Uh, if you'll excuse the expression."

Cimorene smiled, "No, no, Herald. That's exactly what I wanted to hear!" She stepped forward and hugged him again, "Forgive me, but I must answer my summon."

Herald nodded in understanding, and smiled. "Farewell Princess. Don't be getting' into any more trouble now, you hear?"

Cimorene laughed as she looked down at him from her saddle. "Wouldn't dream of it." She turned and began to make her way to the center of her parents' domain once again with renewed excitement. A note said one thing and a trustworthy source said the other? What was going on?

Herald smiled and shook his head. Yeah right. Trouble followed that girl as if it were her shadow. Shrugging with a grin, he turned and began to shop for the castles rations once again.

0000

"Willin, I need something to _do_ before I go mad." Mendanbar exasperatedly sighed as he sat behind his battered desk. Quickly he realized the opportunity for an insult, and he looked up toward the gargoyle. "And don't start." He said firmly, which effectively closed the gargoyle's mouth. Mendanbar's small smirk of temporary triumph vanished as he turned to Willin again. "Willin. Wizards. Nightshades. Little dark elves with pointy hats? Please, you must have a scroll full of issues for me, right?" His voice was on the verge of being desperate. Willin shook his head and Mendanbar groaned and lowered his head so that his forehead was pressed up against the surface of the desk. "…Nothing."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. Toss me a mirror and I can show you a huge problem. I mean, look at _yourself_." The gargoyle teased smugly with a smirk.

Mendanbar's head shot up and he threw a glare at the wooden menace that would never fail to poke fun at him. "If I wanted advice from a block of wood, I would go outside and chat with the trees."

The gargoyle responded intelligently by sticking his tongue out at the troubled king.

"Er…speaking of…um, trees your Majesty, perhaps you should take a small break and go for a walk?" Willin spoke up nervously, not knowing what else to tell him.

Mendanbar stopped his glaring contest with the gargoyle and turned to Willin. "Really?" He asked as he began to stand up.

Willin nodded enthusiastically, and Mendanbar smiled and walked toward the door. "Maybe it'll do me good. Thanks Willin." He said and closed the door behind him.

"The sooner Queenie gets back, the saner he will be." The gargoyle spoke up again. Willin blinked at the … unorthodox nickname for their queen, but nodded in agreement just the same.

0000

Mendanbar decided to go the Green Glass Pool to think. The rare reprieve of remaining in that study all day by the very person who demanded he be there made anyone want to question what was going on. He sat down and leaned back against the cool hard surface of a towering tree. He sighed, and closed his eyes he as tried to relax. But try as he might, this nagging feeling wouldn't leave him. He hadn't noticed it before, but now…

"Something doesn't _feel_ right." He said thoughtfully, his eyes still closed as he spoke.

"And it isn't." A voice said in agreement. Mendanbar's eyes opened and he barely bit back a yelp of surprise. Stormy silver eyes searched the surrounding, but found no other living creature except for a small toad.

"You know, it isn't very polite to ignore someone when he's talking to you." The toad said indignantly.

"I apologize," Mendanbar said defensively as he now looked at the toad, he should have known better. Nothing was what it seemed to be in the Enchanted Forest. If a toad was able to speak, then there was no force holding it back from doing so. "But I didn't mean…"

"Quite alright, quite alright." The toad interrupted as he jumped from the spot beside Mendanbar and onto his knee. Mendanbar was expecting him to say something else, to elaborate on his confirmed thought before; but he didn't. Mendanbar succeeded in looking thoroughly confused.

"My good…" Mendanbar began, and hesitated on what to address the small toad before he quickly recovered. "…Sir. I believe you said that something wasn't right. Am I correct?"

The toad looked at him again, his attention beforehand having been distracted. "You are correct, indeed." Again, the two fell into a small silence before Mendanbar's impatience got the best of him.

"Mm, do you mind elaborating, just a bit?" He asked, trying his best to suppress the urge to move his knee; the toad's current resting place.

"Only if you can live with the fact that you're a bit slow." The toad replied, and before Mendanbar opened his mouth to retaliate, the small amphibian spoke up again. "You must listen though, and I'm not about to repeat it. Something is brewing, something big. A transformation spell."

Mendanbar listened and considered the warning carefully, but he couldn't decipher anything dangerous in the message. "Could you tell me, sir, why-"

"It's source, its control source, it's evil." The toad interrupted, before hopping off of the startled king's knee.

"What? Evil?" The thought of Zemenar and Antorell immediately came to mind. Was it the wizards? "How… how can you be so sure?" The king asked as his eyes found the toad upon the forest ground once again.

"I used to be a magician," He said offhandedly, "But now, as you can plainly see, I'm not. And that, my good fellow, is how I can tell you what I sense. Mm, it's curious though…"

Mendanbar had been listening intently, and encouraged him to continue.

"Well, the source, it's…mm." He paused for a moment, "The magic is disguising it from human sense, magically gifted or not. But I'm no longer a human."

"I see. Well, that is rather curious indeed. Thank you for the information."

The small toad emitted a noise, one that sufficed as a good-natured response.

"You said you weren't always a toad, would you like to return to your old self? I am grateful, and would like to return the favor."

"No thank you. I prefer the life of a toad to one of a human. Good day." And with that, he hopped away to leave Mendanbar alone once again. A hand went up to pinch the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward off an incoming headache.

'A dark transformation spell... And someone doesn't want anyone to know about it. With everyone being so inactive as they are…this can't be good.' Mendanbar thought quietly to himself, lest some other creature decided to sneak up on him to comment. The young king looked down and shook his head; it had become another habit to twist the ring on his left hand in circles as a form of nervousness. He sighed, 'I can't do anything about the spell now. Even I know it takes time, and I simply can't go investigating. I hope it doesn't have anything to do with you, Cimorene…'


	3. FHSDAC3

Disclaimer: Yes, I've decided to rewrite this story again. No, I'm not crazy, and yes, this is the revised version right here. Hm? Oh, no, I don't claim to have any rights or ownership of the Enchanted Forest or its respective characters. Yes, I will take claim to original characters, being Medea, Jerald, and Herald.

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Chapter Three: In which Cimorene speaks with her parents, a plot is discovered, and worries are expressed.

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Cimorene stopped and took an apprehensive breath as she stared at the whimsical designs of the throne room door. She was stalling, and she knew it. Taking another breath, she closed her eyes to recollect her thoughts. 'There is absolutely nothing to be worried about. Herald reassured me of that fact. If my father were ill, he wouldn't be in the throne room.' Cimorene nodded, and placed her hands upon the door in renewed confidence.

The door moved with ease as she applied her strength, and the two figures from within looked up at the entrance.

"Cimorene!"

The young Queen smiled at the image before her; both her father and mother were sitting upon their respective thrones. It was as if she was a young girl again, sent before her parents because of another foiled attempt of liberating herself from her proper duties. Her parents residing in this room was an image that she fondly associated with her childhood. She smiled when they both stood to greet her at the base of the steps that elevated the thrones from the common ground.

"Cimorene dear, what a pleasant surprise!" Her mother exclaimed, hugging her daughter tightly. She moved to hug her father, and he pulled back to hold her at arms length.

"That husband of yours giving you trouble? Already? How disappointing." He said, and shook his head slightly.

Cimorene blinked, and quickly shook her head, "No father, nothing is wrong. Mendanbar and I are very happy." She smiled at the mention of her husband, but her smile faded away when she remembered the letter. "Father, how do you fare? Are you well?"

"Quite well." Her father said strongly, and then glanced over to his wife. "The both of us."

Cimorene let out a sigh of relief, and she smiled. "I'm glad." The relief was quickly melting into anger. Had she been tricked? By whom?

"What's going on Cimorene? Don't try to tell me that you rode the distance to Linderwall from the Enchanted Forest just to ask questions of health." Her mother remarked in good humor.

"Well, actually…" Cimorene looked over to her mother, "Did you send a summon? One with the red seal?"

Her mother's eyes widened, and shook her head. "Of concern and caution? Never did I send such a thing, not with everything in well condition here."

"It's what I have received. One informing me of you, father." She shook her head slightly, "Of an illness close to death itself." The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, and Cimorene began to rummage though her small bag to pull out the note. "Here." She said solemnly, lifting the notice for them to see.

The paper within her hand began to heat up, and Cimorene quickly dropped her gaze to examine the parchment. She felt a faint pull of magic tug at the paper as it emitted a small poof of blue smoke. Cimorene resisted the urge to roll her eyes at such flashy magic, but then watched as the paper fell from her fingertips and landed as ash upon the floor.

"Really dear, I wasn't finished reading." Her father huffed as he followed the paper's trail. Cimorene looked up to her parents and shook her head innocently.

"Wasn't me." She said as she fell to one knee to get a looker look. "But…" She extended her hand over the small pile, and began to mutter some words under her breath. The dust flashed a bright white light, and then faded with a light hue of blue before the whole display of lights disappeared. "I thought as much." Cimorene spat out in disgust, and stood up to fold her arms over her chest. A stance reserved for anger, annoyance, or amusement. She was pissed.

"Dear. Hello?" Her mother tried, and continued when she caught her daughter's gaze. "Yes, what was that? If you don't mind."

Cimorene sighed lightly, "Wizards. Those dastardly old buzzards, setting such a trick for me to fall for."

"Wizards? The white light, and the blue?" The king questioned, not knowing much of magic.

"Hm? Oh no, that test proved two different sources. But the annoying bright blinding light, those were the wizards."

"And the blue?" Her mother asked before her husband had the chance.

Cimorene tilted her head to the side slightly, to think. "Sorceress, I believe. How bothersome." A puzzled expression befell her, "I wasn't aware that I even knew a sorceress. This complicates things just a bit."

"Just how? Obviously, someone wanted you here, but why?" Her father questioned, and held out his hand for his wife. Her mother gave a small smile, and quickly glanced out the window; it was around the normal time for them to retire from the throne room. She took her husband's hand and looked again to her daughter.

"And why go through all the trouble of the notice, the seal? Someone must have been watching…"

Cimorene nodded, and began to walk with her parents across the room. "I know. But I don't understand. If someone wanted to kill me-"

"Cimorene!" Her mother interjected, appalled by the idea.

"They would have intercepted me on my journey here." Cimorene continued, unfazed by her mother's outburst.

"Perhaps you're not the target." The king suggested, trying to help.

"What? Not the target…." Cimorene thought silently for a moment, then she gasped. "I have to get back home. Right now."

Her parents moved to stop her. "Tomorrow. You've just arrived, and you've been riding without rest." Her mother argued, and her husband nodded. "Rest for tonight, the sun has already set. First thing tomorrow." Cimorene looked at both her parents, and sighed.

"First thing tomorrow."

0000

It was cold. Very cold.

Cimorene reached out in the darkness for the warm pillow that was almost always there, but she found nothing. Frowning, she opened her eyes and remembered where she was. "Argh…" She groaned while she pushed herself up into a sitting position. It had been a rough night; her mind was flooded with all the possible outcomes that the counterfeit summon had brought her. And it didn't help that she couldn't talk to Mendanbar about it. She would have, had her parents owned a magic mirror in the kingdom, but Linderwall was not caught up in the advancing ways of magic or communication. She was worried. What if Mendanbar was the target, as her father indirectly implied?

Cimorene glanced out the window and caught the first rays of sunlight. She ignored the sting of the cold as she quickly got out of bed and prepared for her journey back. "Those wizards. Always a nuisance." She mumbled as she looked around the room, trying to remember where she placed her sword the night before. "I knew they were up to something." With a smirk she found her gear but momentarily paused, "But what of this sorceress?"


End file.
